Cockroach
by StrangerInTheOrangeFedora
Summary: Back in the good ol' days, back before there was a psychotic killer running around giving everyone heart attacks, there was a third Whammy's House resident who hung out with Matt and Mello. After winning their begrudging friendship, Cockroach and the duo become nearly inseparable...even if it bugs them! Mostly friendship, maybe slight romance later on.
1. Chapter 1

**THE COCKROACH**

_**Chapter 1**_

"Step right up," I called,disrupting the relative silence that was residing over Whammy's house. "Come see the wonderful thrills of the one- the _only_\- Whammy's house oct-annual bug circus! The last of the season! Watch the boll weevils rumble! See the fleas trapeze!" I shouted into a megaphone. I was standing on a crate, wildly exclaiming the announcement to a small crowd of passers-by.

One by one the kids gathered, forming a half circle around a wooden box. Inside were my beloved pride and joys, the performers of the bug circus. There were many types of insects and arthropods; fleas flipping through the air, rhinoceros beetles battling it out, and a spider named Sophia dancing fluidly on her web. 'Oooh's and 'Ahhh's erupted from the crowd of young geniuses as they watched the bugs do such remarkable things. I, the ring leader, was announcing the acts when suddenly-

"Ewww! A bug!" a girl shrieked.

_SQUISH!_

"Ludo! Noooo!" I cried. I turned with a glare to the offender, fists balled. "You killed Ludo, you monster! He was just about to juggle his _eighth _bead!"

"Well.. It was gross. And bugs are dirty, y'know?" the girl, Rita, defended,shrugging nonchalantly. She had a distinct lack of _sorry_ in her voice. I always hated people like her. It was one thing to be care free, but another thing entirely to simply not care.

"I'll show you dirty!" With that, I pounced on the newly dubbed murderer, pinning her to the ground. Before Rita could fully experience the wrath of an enraged bug enthusiast, I felt myself being forcefully yanked off of her and lifted into the air. An elderly man, Roger no doubt, now held me slung over his shoulder and flailing about like a sentient sack of potatoes.

"Put me down, old man! She ain't received her whoopin' yet!" I complained. Wordlessly, Roger carried me, screaming all the way, into his office. I had to give him credit for being so frail looking, yet still being perfectly capable of carrying a less than cooperative ten year old like that. He took a deep breath in preparation of the long winded lecture he was about to release on me.

"Child," he began, looking hard into my eyes. I stared back for once completely silent. He still didn't say anything and I was beginning to wonder if he had slipped into a trance or fallen asleep mid conversation. My grandfather did that once, it was one of the weirder things that happened during my earlier years. Sensing that he wasn't particularly planning on breaking the still and quiet air, I took the liberty of doing it for him.

"Mr. Ruvie?" I asked, "If this is a staring contest, I can assure you you aren't going to win. Azazel tried and we timed it. I lasted for almost five minutes. See I can go into this like trance or something that somehow makes me not feel like blinking and-"

"Enough, child. You should know that trying to distract me won't work. I am not so easily charmed by a little story as Mr. Whammy may be," he scolded.

" I was just trying to.." I mumbled trailing off when I realized I was only digging myself a deeper grave so to speak. I looked at the floor and clutched my hands together instead, my feet suddenly becoming a more interesting matter than the subject at hand. I deliberately let my chestnut bangs fall over my face to shadow my eyes. This seemed somehow safer than meeting his eyes again. For all my vigor and gusto, negative moods really sucked the life out of me. And if one thing was sure, Roger Ruvie could hands down win the award for Negative Nancy.

I flinched away at the sound of Roger sucking in another angry breath through his teeth. Luckily (for me at least), I was saved when a nervous looking help came in and whispered something frantically into his ear. I watched out of the corner of my vision as his eyebrows scrunched together like furry caterpillars, only they were absolutely no where close to being as cute as caterpillars, and a grimace stretched across his face.

"Stay here," he directed. "I must take care of something dire. Don't you try any of your little stunts like last time!" he warned as he ushered the helper out before him.

Ah, the famous _last time._ During my previous adventure I set off a stinkbug to _fumigate_ the room. When the old man had left to catch a breather, I escaped through the window and hid in the garden shed. Even now the rancid stench still clung faintly to the fabric of his chair, where the bug bomb had gone off.

"Don't you worry, sir," I consoled, giving him a snaggle-toothed grin and patting him lightly on the arm. "I'll be right here. Won't move a muscle!" Roger just 'harrumphed' and turned to leave the room. I swear, old people are just so cranky!

To show him just how serious I was, I froze up and tensed all of my muscles in a deliberately odd position. I was on one leg and leaning forward precariously with my arms out stretched in front of me. I stayed that way until I heard his hobbling footsteps shuffle down the hall and out of ear shot. Then I released the tension and let my limbs drop down into a more natural position. "Like heck I'm just gonna wait for him to come back and beat me!" I exclaimed to myself. "Just who does he think I am?"

Revitalized with the mood killer gone, I reached into the front pocket of my shorts and pulled out a small pod of beads. I rubbed them in my hands and blew on them for a moment to activate them. "My room in five," I whispered before rolling them out the door. I pressed my ear to the wooden door and only moved when I heard the commotion and chaos emanating from the other side. While I may have just given Roger all he needs to know of my escape, I also bought myself a good and sure five minutes. That was more time than I'd ever need.

I shoved up the window before launching myself out. I barely stopped to regain my balance, instead opting to use the momentum to fall into a mad dash towards the garden shed. As I approached my destination, I heard the shrill shriek of a girl from somewhere inside the house. Gosh, I hope that was Rita. Maybe I should plant some mosquito buzzers in her room to haunt her. That'll teach her to mess with _my _bugs! I laughed evilly.

xilix xilix

The garden shed was a dilapidated old thing, half hidden behind a couple of trees. It had forgotten planks of plywood stacked against it, indicating that it hadn't been used in ages. A false indication as many children frequently hid in it to escape Roger. Roger has a debilitating phobia of spiders which keeps him from looking too extensively in all the nooks and crevices, making this the perfect hiding spot.

This one in particular was especially perfect because it lacked any source of lighting. There were no windows and no place for a light fixture either. It had been abandoned years ago when a major infestation of roaches and termites was discovered. It has long since been treated, but the emotional trauma inflicted on Roger's psyche ran deep. After all, he was the one who had a rotting termite-y ceiling collapse on him, covering him in all sorts of unspeakables.

When I looked at the shed, I saw something that probably hadn't happened in years. The rusty old lock had slipped shut. I could tell it had not been closed hard enough to actually lock, per se, but it wasn't in any hurry to fall open either. I yanked it rather hard, having to throw all my weight into it before it even budged. I wiped the crust of chipped paint, rust, and grime on my shorts and tossed the broken lock to the floor. A small tinkling alarm sounded, informing me that there was just one minute left before my nano-bugs marched back to my room. I squealed and jumped with excitement and the thrill of coming down to the wire. The latch was refusing to open and my constant bouncing was not helping in the least, but I couldn't bare to stop.

Finally it came free and I was able to catapult myself into the shed, taking care to shut, or rather _slam_ the door behind me. I made my way through the maze of untouched garden supplies and collapsed against the back wall and slid down, my pulse racing and my breathing ragged. I smiled weakly as I came down from my adrenaline high.

"What a rush," I sighed to myself and flopped down completely. The landing was oddly cushioned, but I chalked that up to rotting wood or a bag of weeds left from the gardeners. Turns out I was wrong on both accounts. It was another Whammy resident, a fact that became blatantly obvious when I felt a sharp shove in the middle of my back that sent me sprawling.

"Get off me!" the kid whisper-shouted. Oh, yeah. That talking thing. That definitely clued me in, too. I sat up and pulled a sliver out of my palm.

"You aren't a pile of leaves," I told him seriously.

"Well no sh*t!" he said dryly.

"My, my! You sir are a potty mouth!" I accused. He didn't dignify me with a response. He turned away from me and every aspect of his body language screamed that he didn't care to talk with me any longer. I ignored every one of those signs. "So, are you giving Roger the slip too?"

"Duh."

"Well shove over so I'm not so exposed. If he sees me we're both caught." He said nothing, but complied, making room for me next to him behind an over-turned wheel-barrow. After a few moments of unbearably awkward silence, I spoke again,"So how'd you get away from the old man? Did you push him down the stairs? You really shouldn't do that, you know? They don't make old men like they used to." He ignored that comment too. Man, he was really good at this ignoring thing. I may have to take some lessons from him. I'm sure my teachers would totally appreciate it.

"Some idiot dropped their ant farm or something. Roger let me go because one bit or stung or whatever him, and now here I am," he explained shrugging.

"Oh, those were my special Armageddon Ants! That's how I staged my escape!" I smiled at a sudden realization, "Wait, if I helped you... then that means you owe me now!" I pointed at him for emphasis.

"I don't owe you anything! I didn't ask for your help! Now shut up," he covered my mouth and dropped his voice. "Someone's coming," he whispered, though I think it was more to himself than me.

We held our breath and squished even closer to each other. Despite knowing that Roger couldn't see us with his old eyes and the lack of lighting, I was still surprisingly scared. The door opened slowly letting in a sliver of blinding light from outside. I squeezed my eyes shut and turned away from the source. A voice rang from the doorway like an angel calling from the beyond.

"Roger's given up, Mells," it said. "You're safe to come out." I blinked and glared against the harsh lighting. The bearer of good news was a red headed boy with goggles and eyes glued to a Nintendo screen. He looked to be around the same age as me. The boy who I was currently leaning against stood up suddenly, causing me to fall roughly on the ground.

"A little warning next time?" I called from the musty floor. I was ignored completely.

"Thanks, Matt," he said dusting off his dark pants.

"Someone wanna help me up?" I asked, but was once again disregarded. "Hey, Blondie, down here!" Nothing. "Hey, look! A dinosaur eating a unicorn with a hernia!" I sighed, tired of getting nowhere. "Mells?" I tried, using the name this Matt kid used. Unfortunately, my pleas remained unheard and I had to get up on my own.

I hopped over various garden tools and skirted my way around some frighteningly pointy objects before stopping square in front of the blue eyes deaf dragon. "Whelp, 'Mells'" I said, extending a hand.

"Mello," he corrected.

"Okay, then Mello, pleasure meeting you," I stretched my hand out farther and he took it hesitantly. "The name's Cockroach." I gave his hand a firm shake. "I'll come find you when I'm ready to collect my debt."

"For the last time, I don't owe you!" he called after me. I just chuckled and shoved my hands in my pockets as I walked away, a refreshing breeze tousling my short hair.

_**Hey, Everyone! I hoped you enjoyed my first installment of The Cockroach! It certainly was a pleasure to write. Stay tuned for more chapters. Also, since you have already made it this far down the page, please do leave a review. It's good for the soul!~**_


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

After yesterday's fiasco, I decided it was best to avoid getting on Roger's bad side. However, I still needed to get back at Rita, because there was no way I was just gonna let her get away with killing my star performer. I'd need a way that couldn't be traced back to me. Maybe I could... wait! What was I doing? Plotting wasn't _my _genius! I do everything spontaneously. On a whim. However, I _did_ know of someone else who would come in handy. I ran upstairs and sped into my room.

"Azazel!" I called frantically, checking all the places my roommate could have hid. He wasn't in bed nor was he in the bathroom. I looked literally everywhere, I'd even checked the laundry basket and my sock drawer just to be sure, but he was still nowhere to be seen. "C'mon, 'Zaze, I need your help!" I sighed harshly when I saw a slip of paper flutter to the ground from my set of drawers. Noticing the neat, small flowing hand writing and recognizing it as my roommate's, I decided it would be a good idea to read it.

_ Cockroach,  
Having breakfast in the third library.  
I put this on your sock drawer in hopes  
that you'd find it faster than last time_

I face palmed. Wow. You would think I would have a little more observation skills. You know, considering I'm technically a genius of sorts. However, I was also surprised Azazel had that much confidence in me. I read on:

_I ask that you do not bother me, as I am_

_ studying for the next placement test. I know_

_ you don't see the importance, but I do.  
\- Azazel, 5__th__ place  
P.S Good luck with Rita, but please leave_

_ me out of it._

I snorted at his signature. The little snot was so proud of his ranking. I suppose I would be too, if I was anywhere near the single digits.

I sighed again as I thought of the matter at hand. What was I supposed to do without him? I'm lucky if I can tie my shoes without his council! I guess today was a barefoot day, if you know what I mean. Who knows, maybe I'd get smacked in the face with a good idea.

XILIX XILIX

It was rather sunny out today, and the fresh breeze was calling my name. I decided it was okay to take a break from scouting out ideas and enjoy the day.

I stretched out on the soft green grass and smiled. I liked it here in England. Germany was cool too, but there was a lot more nature out here. A couple of butterflies drifted across the sky startled by something or other. I felt my eyelids grow heavy and was about to give in to the sleepy mid-morning warmth when I heard a voice, or rather _two_ voices. They sounded like girls, but that meant absolutely nothing to me.

Curious, I pulled myself up and crept over to them, being sure to remain hidden.

"Oh my gosh," one girl whispered to the other," Did you see what happened yesterday?"

"To Rita?" the other asked. The first girl nodded in confirmation. "Yeah I saw. I feel bad for her..."

I tuned out after that and was about to walk away from the girl drama, but my attention was caught again after I heard my name.

" That bug freak, Cockroach is it? I'd feel bad for anyone that kid touched. Just thinking about it gives me the creeps!" she exclaimed. I looked at my fingers questioningly. Huh. They seemed clean enough to me. I guess they were a little dusty from laying in the grass, but I do wash them frequently.

"What's with that person anyway? That bug fetish? Barf! No wonder he has no friends!" The girls cackled with their atrocious laughter.

My hands balled into fists, my nails digging deep into my skin. I had plenty of friends! I had Azazel, and all my little nano creations! How could anyone ask for more!

"And did you _see_ its ranking? I don't know why insists on keeping that kid here! I mean Cockroach is anything _but_ a genius!" one girl whined, the other sounding her agreement.

I sniffed loudly and wiped my palm over my face, leaving behind a smear of dirt across my cheek. I wasn't crying. Not even close. I just had... allergies or something, that's all. Nothing so simple could make me cry! The girls both turned and looked at me surprise etched on their faces. After a second, one girl looked down, ashamed at being caught. The other, however, let no regret show.

"Get outta here, creep!" She shouted, her tone as if she were talking to a disobedient dog. "You're dirtying my air!"

"Sorry," I forced my face into a smile. "I don't speak arrogant snob." The girl's face burned with indignant anger. She knelt to the ground, and for a moment, I thought _she_ was going to cry. But alas, I would not get such satisfaction. No, instead she picked up a rock. I knew what was going to happen next, but I wasn't going to cower from it. I was about to send another jibe her way, something that doubtlessly would get that rock and a few others pelted at me, however, before I could even think of exactly what to say, I was interrupted by a soft, calm voice.

"Please," a dark haired boy with thin rimmed glasses uttered. His voice was sleepy and smooth, and he had a black bag with him. He held his hand gently placed in front of the rock wielding girl, blocking her aim, "Melonie, put down the rock and take Evelyn inside. You're frightening her," he stated calmly. Torn, Melonie looked between me and the stone a few times.

"Fine," she grumbled "But you better not eavesdrop again, you little creep!" She called to me, dragging Evelyn behind her.

"_Tausend danke,_ 'Zaze," I said. "You literally saved my skin. That rock looked particularly painful," I joked and clapped him on the back. He wiped away a smudge of dirt from my face, a ghost of a smile on his lips. I must admit, I preened a bit, proud of my accomplishment. Being the weird little bugger he is, Azazel's face has a tendency to lean more towards the emotionless side.

"That's what I'm here for," he whispered. "I'm going to study at the pond. Please, try to stay out of trouble."

"No promises," I chuckled, "See ya". Azazel gave me a slight wave as he walked away.

After a few moments of standing alone in silence, I caught sight of an ant trail marching a few feet away. I turned along side them and began marching next to them, following them to their destination. "Left, right," I chanted, "Left, right, left." I stuck closely to them, making myself a place in their line, but also being careful so as to not take any of their little lives.

I was too busy concentrating on the insects to pay much attention to my immediate surroundings. "Owww..." I moaned rubbing my head. I had run into something- erm _someone. _"Mello!" I cheered when I saw who it was, "I missed you!" He looked at me incredulously.

"What do you want?" he asked after a moment.

"Well..." I began, "I actually didn't mean to run into you, pun intended, but since you asked."

" Forget it," he snapped, yanking Matt as he tried to leave. Matt didn't struggle or let out any sound of protest, instead he just sighed in resignation.

"Oh, hi Matt," I greeted.

"Hey," he responded, not looking up from his game.

"Anywayz, I just thought of how you could repay me! And it isn't even that hard," I goaded.

"I don't even owe you! Seriously! F*ck off!" he fussed. I grabbed his wrist and tugged a bit.

" Be my friend. For a week. That's it, just one," I commanded.

"What? That's _it_?" Matt asked. " I thought you were going to say he had to be your scape goat, or test dummy or _something_!" Matt exclaimed with- lest my ears deceived me- disappointment.

"Nope," I shook my head, "I just need him to help me prove a point is all," I explained.

"No," Mello refused, almost instantly. He tugged Matt again. I think he was trying to escape from me or something. It wasn't going to work.

"You'll follow through with this, or else," I warned. He sent a burning glare at me, but I faced him head on anyway.

"Or else what?" he growled.

"Or else I'll never leave you alone. Never ever _ever!_" Mello clutched his head and looked a bit like he was going to barf or have a massive brain hemorrhage, or both, possibly at the same time. He breathed heavily. I was just going to tell him never mind and to forget it, but he began to speak before I could.

"Fine," he ground out painfully, "I'll be your friend for exactly _one week_, no more. And then, you will get and stay the f*ck out of my life."

"Deal!" I agreed easily firmly shaking his hand. "It starts now!" I tightened my grip around his wrist and started running, dragging him along with me.

"Where are we going?" Matt asked, as Mello was in a state far beyond caring. I gave them an excited grin before replying.

"Everywhere!"

XILIX XILIX

I flopped down on my bed, exhausted. It was almost midnight, and Azazel was already sleeping soundly in the bed opposite mine. Early to bed, early to rise, I suppose. I think he once told me that he went to bed so early because it kept the brain functioning at maximum capacity. I have my doubts on that theory, though. All my best ideas come when I'm swimming through that drunken stage of sleep deprivation. I sighed heavily, my whole body screaming for some sleep.

It was fun, my first day with Mello as my friend. Sadly, it was mostly one-sided, me dragging him around and Matt following silently, aside from the constant beeps and tunes from his video games. Either way, I'm not discouraged. He just has to warm up to me is all, and I have another six whole days. Maybe tomorrow I can try getting him to swim in the pond with me?

I pulled myself out of my warm bed, stifling a yawn. I plodded heavily over to my work-bench and pulled out two drawers. From the first drawer, I withdrew Ludo's sorry remains, and from the second I fished out a handful of various cogs and gears as well as a pair of thin wire-like tweezers and magnification goggles similar to the ones that jewelers wear. I began to repair Ludo as quietly as possible, so as to not wake my roomie.

It took me no more than an hour or so to completely resurrect my bio-mechanical friend. He was now better than ever, with a new stronger titanium exoskeleton. I even managed to make him a little unicycle out of his spare parts!

I cranked his antennae around a good three or four time to give him a test run. Despite being nearly certain that he would work just as well as ever, I couldn't help the feeling of glee that sprung from my heart into my throat. This was my magic. My talent. My _genius._

The little creature slowly came to life, gears ticking together in a metallic symphony. He skittered over to the unicycle with movements precisely accurate to an actual cockroach. A few seconds later he was balanced on his wheel and swayed slowly back and forth. No longer than a minute later, the music box circus music from within him died down and he scuttled away into a hiding place behind the tools.

With Ludo's condition finally taken care of, I released a massive yawn. I glanced over at my LED digital clock, my eyes so tired I could barely make sense of the numbers, 2:03 am it read. For a single moment I debated on going back to my bed, but instead I just grabbed my stuffed giraffe for a pillow and passed out then and there on my desk.

**A/N: **_**Heya, guys! Thank you for reading the second installment of "The Cockroach". When Cockroach is talking to Azazel and says "tausend danke", it essentially "means thanks a bunch" . Now that we have a few chapters under our belts, I would like to know: Is it better to have short, consistent updates, or longer ones sporadically? Either way,you've already come down so far on the page, you may as well pop your thoughts into that little review box down there. Please and Thank you!**_


	3. Chapter 3

I woke up early the next morning, or at least, early for me. Unsurprisingly, Azazel was already gone, probably taking a cram class for the ranking test next week. I swear, that kid has a seriously one track mind. I mean, it's not like he could ever score lower than me, even if he tried! Heck, I wouldn't be shocked if he moved up a rank by _accident!_

I yawned and stretched when I sat up, trying to force out the crick that had so kindly decided to form in my neck. I popped my knuckles and toes before standing up, yet my joints still creaked worse than an old man's. I wobbled a bit, still not used to this sudden up-right position. Miraculously, I was able to make it to the bathroom without some major catastrophe happening.

I brushed my teeth vigorously, then inspected my reflection in the mirror. I had a deep red imprint in my left cheek from Jeff the Giraffe's eye. I opted out of brushing my hair. I figured it went well with the under eye bags that had sprouted overnight and my crinkled clothes from yesterday. I sniffed my shirt. On second thought, maybe a change of clothes wouldn't be a _terrible _idea. Also a shower. Definitely a shower.

XILIX XILIX

I decided now that I was a bit more presentable, I ought to pay Mello a visit. His room was just a turn down the hall from mine, I've seen him dart past my room when Roger or Mr. Whammy was after him. I marched confidently down the hall until I reached a conundrum. Little did I know there was a fork in the road. I haven't ever actually been down this way before. Breakfast was the other way, so why bother?

I dug in my pocket to see if I had anything to use as a directional telling device of fate. Lint, a bubblegum wrapper, and some gears. Cool, but in no way helpful to my situation. I dug around in another pocket, hoping for a touch more luck this time. Score! While I didn't stumble upon a coin of any sort, I did find a pencil. Works for me!

I tossed the pencil in the air with a flip of my wrist. Point end would be the indicator, I decided. Left, it directed.

"Well, okay then, pencil," I said, "You know best."

I ran into another problem after I rounded the corner. There were doors... EVERYWHERE! There were at least six rooms on each side of the hall, and I had absolutely no clue what room was Mello's. I eliminated all the ones with open doors, pegging Mello as a more private type. Aside from that, there was only one way to find out. I snuck towards the left wall, keeping with the pencil's guidance, and grasped the door knob, turning it, and slowly peeked in. I was met by a mop of floppy black hair. Nope. Not the droid I was looking for. I continued down the row, peering in, then stepping back with disappointment.

I finally got to the last door on the left wall, and if it was wrong, I swear I was gonna have to punch someone. I pushed the door open just a crack and looked in. There were two beds, one neatly made and the other was just a mess. Actually, that could very well describe the whole room. I could practically see the dividing line straight down the center where cluttered beyond belief met pristinely organized. The room was empty, and I wasn't quite sure what Mello's living style was. This would call for deeper investigation!

I dropped to my knees, leaning heavily on the door both to keep my balance and to stop it from swinging open. I slowly pushed it open a teensy bit more and started to quietly creep in ever so slightly.

"What are you doing?"

"YEEKS!" I screamed, falling to the floor as the door swung open. My head slammed into the door-frame, and my own personal galaxy glittered across my eyes for a few moments afterwards.

XILIX XILIX

Before I knew it, I was laying on the clear bed with a bag of ice from the residential nurse over my face. My nose was sore and swollen,and I'm pretty sure I looked uncomfortably similar to a clown. At least my face was going numb.

"So let me get this straight," Matt said over the noise of his nintendo, "You were looking for Mello, and rather than asking someone for help, you relied on a _pencil_ and then creeped on countless children, violating their privacy and causing everyone trouble?" he asked.

"You forgot about the part where I scared the bejeezus out of the nurse," I pointed out, rolling to look at him.

"Yes, then you give the nurse a heart attack with your massive face hemorrhage," he added. I thought for a moment.

"Yep. Sounds about right," I agreed.

"Smart." He sounded sarcastic. I could practically hear the eye roll.

"I thought so too. So where is Mello, anyway?" I asked. I rolled off the bed and landed on the soft, fluffy carpet with a thump.

"Taking some cram course or something," he shrugged. "And I wouldn't touch that if I were you."

"What, this?" I asked, gesturing to an unlabeled cardboard box that I pulled out from under the bed. "Why? Is it going to explode if I open it?"

"Something like that," he said. I opened the box. I didn't die, in fact, nothing happened. How disappointing. Inside the box was bars upon bars of sweet, delicious, chocolate bars. I took one out and smiled, I could already feel the sugar rush. I opened it and brought it up to my mouth.

"I am telling you this for the good of your immortal soul," Matt warned, eyes wide. "You do not want to eat that chocolate bar."

What stopped me (after the first bite, of course) was not Matt's warning. Nor was it the fact that he had actually put down his game to administer it and his goggles weren't covering his eyes for once, though that did come shockingly close, I must say. No, what stopped me was the positively horror stricken face of one chocolate munching Mello. The air between us was tense. I couldn't help it, perhaps the frozen silence was to much, or perhaps I'm just completely out of my mind. I smiled at him and took another bite and chewed it slowly. His face changed like a mood ring. From horror stricken to heart broken, finally he settled on pissed.

Mello charged me and I jumped onto his bed, grabbing his pillow for a shield. "Save me Matt!" I cried.

"I told you not to eat it," he said, once again fully immersed in his game.

Mello yanked my foot out from under me sending me sprawling. I flailed my foot about trying to dislodge his grip. _Thump._ I kicked him in the shoulder, but it, if anything, made my situation worse. He tightened his fingers around my ankle and pulled me off the bed.

"Save me!" I shrieked both with fear and laughter, "He's gonna eat me!"

"Shut up!" he yelled kicking me in the stomach. I zipped my mouth shut and curled around his leg. I grit my teeth, the kick hurt like a devil. Then I got a funny idea. Maybe he _wasn't_ playing. Maybe he was seriously going to kill me over a stupid bit of candy. I bit his ankle through his jeans. His body twisted and more out of shock than anything, I presume, he lost his balance and fell, landing directly on my ribs.

"Ack!" I gasped.

"Sh*t!" he groaned. And just like that it was over. No more yelling or punching or kicking or biting. I craned my neck and saw Matt silently laughing his head off. I rolled my eyes. I looked up higher and saw the reason for the calm. Mello, still red faced and huffy, was finishing the chocolate that I just realized I dropped. Dang it. I sighed.

"You're so _melo_dramatic," I laughed weakly, the air still being crushed out of my lungs. He bounced on my ribs, letting me feel the full force of his boney butt again. He clearly wasn't quite so amused with my pun as I was.

"Not to be rude, but was there a reason for your visit, or nah?" Matt asked, bringing our focus back to the point.

"You mean I need an excuse to visit my favorite geniuses?" I asked mocking a hurt tone. "But alas, there is a point. I need you guys," I pointed at the both of them just in case they needed clarification, "to come with me."

"Why?" Mello asked, though the way he said it made it sound less like a question.

"Because," I said as I wriggled out from under him like a worm. "I want you to. And you're my friend, so you have to do what I say." I crossed my arms and Mello looked angry again.

XILIX XILIX

I led the two boys into the forest only slightly against their will. I explained to them on the way that we were going to go swimming in the pond. My secret pond. I also warned them that if they told anyone about it they would soon find their eyes eaten out by maggots. It felt bad to threaten my new found friends, but I got over it. After all, I _was_ showing them my private hiding spot.

"Here it is," I gestured widely to the glistening body of water. It was maybe fifty feet in diameter and only got about ten feet deep. There were burr reeds growing around it in clumps here and there and a short little pier to sit on. I had also tied a thick rope around a branch of an oak to swing from. This was my own private paradise. "Let's swim!" I pulled off my tee shirt, but kept my shorts and undershirt on.

Matt seemed very uncomfortable with the idea of getting wet, and Mello just looked defiant. Very reluctantly Mello started edging towards the water. I grabbed the sleeve of his shirt and tugged lightly, causing him to glance at me.

"You aren't gonna wanna swim in long sleeves," I warned. "I used to do it, but it gets really heavy and rubs when you get out. Also, it could come up over your head if you go under. It looks kinda baggy. And-"

"Fine." he grumpily interrupted. He pulled the shirt over his head and dropped it harshly on the grass. "Happy now?" It was a rhetorical question and I didn't want to anger him more with a smart-alec response, so I bit my tongue to keep myself quiet. Literally. I figured I'd live longer that way anyway.

"C'mon!" I cheered, grabbing his limp wrist and pulling him into the water with me. The water was a bit nippy, though it could definitely have been worse. I tugged him along behind me until I got where it was too deep for me to stand. I sucked in a deep breath and relaxed into a back float, closing my eyes and basking in the warm glowing light of the afternoon sun and the sweet humming of the crickets and bees. I let the calm wash over me, and I fell into a sort of daze.

I heard Mello splashing around a bit, but I deemed it as unimportant. That is, until I felt him swim up right behind me. Before I even knew what was happening, I felt his hands grasp my shoulders. In one swift movement he flipped me over onto my stomach an pushed me underwater. Hard. The water below the surface was close to freezing, and I was trying to keep down the choke trying to tear its way out of my throat as a response to the water I snorted.

I struggled free of his grip and popped out of the water like a rocket. Mello was laughing his butt off and I glared at him. Apparently he found that immensely funny too, because he broke into a whole new fit of laughter. I glared harder and splashed him in the face, aiming for his nose and mouth.

"Not cool, dude!" I yelled. Matt was laughing now too, at both of us. Mello sent him an evil death glare which stopped Matt not at all. He fixed me with such a devious gleam to his eye that I couldn't help but smirk. I knew exactly where this was headed and I wouldn't miss such an opportunity for the world.

Mello and I both descended under the water and swam towards the pier. Simultaneously, we each grabbed one of Matt's legs and yanked him in. Matt let out an animalistic howl as he crashed into the water. In my excitement I turned to high-five Mello, forgetting for a moment that he didn't like me. Thankfully, he seemed to have forgotten too, otherwise he would have received a less than pleasant slap to the face. We froze and stared at each other for a moment my brown eyes meeting his blue ones. I smiled hesitantly at him. He snarled slightly at me and turned away. After we had our little moment, Matt returned coughing and sputtering to the surface.

"I really hate you guys, you know that?" he asked grimly. I smiled.

"I love you, too, Mattie," I grinned, only to receive a big face full of water. Yes, this was the seedling of a wondrous friendship. I could tell.


End file.
